Tantalizing story out of the Chronicle today. Famed anonymous online marketplace The Silk Road - which is only accesible by Tor - has been taken down by the FBI, who claim to have arrested its mastermind at a library in San Francisco.

Ross William Ulbricht aka "Dread Pirate Roberts" was taken without a fight, the Chroniclereports, and is being charged with narcotics trafficking, money laundering and attempting to murder a witness. The FBI said they infiltrated the online marketplace and made more than 100 drug buys from vendors there.

They contend Texas-native Ulbricht's site facilitated $1.2 billion in sales and had been used by several thousand drug dealers to sell hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs. The FBI also alleges Ulbricht paid $80,000 for a hit on former employee that Ulbricht feared would snitch.

Sen. Chuck Shumer and the government celebrated the arrest. "The country is safer now that this open market for lawbreaking has been shuttered," said Shumer, according to the Chronicle.

We don't know about that. You can still buy drugs on any number of sites, including Craigslist. Though we don't recommend doing so.

About The Author

A San Francisco-based journalist who has appeared in WIRED, Rolling Stone, The Onion, The New York Times, and many other fine publications. Editorial Director of TruMedia. On twitter at @davidrdowns. Email him at [email protected]